It's a Friday the weekly holy day in Islam.. I choose this day to travel to Alexandria.
I settle my bill and say goodbye to the hotel staff.. I've been here 5 nights.. A great team .
The GPS tries to take me back into town.. but Mohammed has given me directions for the desert road.. Even I can't miss them.
I'm on my way. 4 lanes each way and no trucks ..they have their own lanes. An easy run to Alexandria less than 2 hours.. I stop to let the gas out of the gas bottle and tidy the back up a bit. I'm in phone contact with Links man in Alexandria a Mr. Ehad. a lovely guy. I I arrive about 12 midday.. see a McDonalds sign.. well it's been a long time so I give it a go.. One thing is it's consistent.. but I regret it afterwards.. from a cultural point of view.
I google hotels and find the Le Metropole.. not an original name.. but it does have history.
And as a travel agent I get a good rate. The hotel is 100 years old built on the site of the obelisk that you have seen in Paris.. a gift from Egypt to France. I find parking outside. A security guy approaches me within seconds, he wants to make sure that he gets a tip ..we come to an arrangement.
I check in and after taking a picture from the 5th floor I decide to have a stroll on the promenade.
The hotel is old world with an amazing lift. My single room is adequate..
A shower then at dusk I go up to the 5th floor restaurant to have another look .
Mr. Ehad phones ..pleased I booked somewhere central.. We will meet at 7.45 am
Radwa has things for us to do tomorrow.
This city has a French feeling - patisseries, pavement cafes -or is it Egyptian that the French copied?
I decide to have dinner at the terrace restaurant.
It is excellent. A greek salad to start that could feed an army.. and then chicken.. both excellent with a bottle of local wine also very good.
At about 9pm a singer ..French songs.. very romantic.. but I'm on my own!!
A nice day.
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